


Why Can't We Be Friends?

by ballpoint



Category: Marvel 616, Young Avengers
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-07-05
Updated: 2011-07-05
Packaged: 2017-10-21 01:19:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/219310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ballpoint/pseuds/ballpoint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eli finds that just being friends is really hard. And awkward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why Can't We Be Friends?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ryuutchi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ryuutchi/gifts).



> Characters belong to Marvel. No profit is being made from this work.

With a push, Kate took to the ice, her footwork light and quick, as she etched patterns in the ice underfoot, face glowing, hair blowing in the wind. Tommy's right there, waiting for her, and in a neat move he grabs her by her hand and pulls her to him.

"Tommy." Kate laughs in that way she does. Never giggles, just that low laugh edged with _something_ that he can't put his hand on. A blink and they are swallowed by other bodies jostling for space on the ice rink.

"Hey, Eli, you came."

Eli, is jolted out his thoughts. Nate sits beside him - Nate- who they sent to the future and he's now here and.

"Yeah, just-" Eli makes a show of tugging at his laces, wriggles his toes to see if his skates fit perfectly.

"You and Kate, huh? Going from make up to break up. Who'd have thunk it? That girl you saw on the corner of-"

"Oh man," Eli laughs, as he presses his hands to his face. "So much happened since you left."

"Well, yeah. I was going to ask Cassie for a turn on the ice. But if you want, we could bring the place down with our interpretation of _New York, New York_."

"You're all heart," Eli replies. "But no, Romeo, let me not stop your flow."

"You're a poet, and don't know it." Nate says before they both break up with laughter, and Eli is so glad that Nate's back. But before he says it, Nate's off and skimming across the rink.

With a push, Eli's on the ice, too. He contents himself with doing lemons, basic diagonals, and watching the world whiz by. In the blur of bodies and faces, it's Kate's that he sees, and he always wants to tell his stupid heart to get over it, because he and Kate - well. It's over now.

"Eli," Kate skates in time to the song, circles around him, her breath coming out in wisps of mist. "You came."

"Yeah, I didn't have work today. The post got double booked, I saw your message on twitter, and-"

"You're still a Young Avenger, Eli," she says, her voice carrying even though she isn't shouting, and the music is loud.

If Eli had the words, he'd say things, give voice to the feelings that crouch on his tongue, ready to take flight, but it's hard, and this is hard, and not for the first time, he wonders why he's here. Kate looks at him, her hair up and off her shoulders in a pony tail, and the bright blue jacket she's wearing matches her eyes. But all he says is, "Billy's my friend too. I had issues with how stuff was handled, and our siding with Magneto, but he's my friend. As well as Nate and Cassie and even Tommy. If me coming here is going to be awkward, just because I'm a _Young Avenger_ despite everything and not because I'm a friend-"

"And me."

"What about you?"

"I'm still your friend. Just because we decided to take a vacation from the heavy stuff, doesn't mean that we're still not friends."

"Kate-" Eli shakes his head, almost wants to laugh, but his breath catches in his throat. "It's... this'll be too hard."

Kate gives a quick, sharp nod. "I know. But, we can do it, right, because we're Young Avengers. Don't pull away, Eli. Don't be suddenly busy like you were when we went to the Avenger's Mansion without you. Or coming up with excuses not to hang with us, or just-" she stops, her lips trying to curve into a smile that doesn't really reach her eyes. "Let's try a different tack this time, and be friends. Don't leave."

"Okay," Eli says, and it's the hardest thing he's had to say, since he got rumbled with MGH and had to leave the team. The decision to _stay_ and to work around this- them- will be hard. But they are friends and he will stick, no matter how bruised his heart gets.

Fin


End file.
